In about an hour, I’ll be watching the newest episode of Doctor Who. I’ll finally get to see Peter Capaldi’s new Doctor in action.

I wish I could say that I was counting the minutes, at the same time I wish I could say I was over it. Instead, I’m (very) cautiously optimistic. And, yes, a little excited.

Just because the last few episodes have been more plot hole than actual plot doesn’t mean that this episode will leave me eyerolling so hard that I have to chase down my eyeballs.

And hey, the fact that Clara’s characterization has been inconsistent is a good thing, because it means that it’s impossible to get her out of character! Right?

Sarcasm aside, I actually am hopeful. Mostly because of Peter Capaldi. If there’s one thing Steven Moffat is good at, it’s choosing actors. I would have gotten sick of the Eleventh Doctor’s goofball from space routine a lot sooner if it weren’t for Matt Smith’s ability to infuse the character with a genuine sense of alienness, Karen Gillan kept Amy Pond watchable despite a story “arc” that led her over the same ground again and again, and Jenna Louise Coleman manages to make Clara into something resembling an actual character, rather than a collection of whatever traits were grafted on to serve that episode’s plot.

So, as the hour approaches, I can only cling to hope. Maybe Peter Capaldi can really regenerate the show, as he has the Doctor. Maybe the show I still love will return to being a show I actually enjoy. Maybe Steven Moffat will learn how to create a logical story arc and craft consistent characters.

(Okay, that last one might be a little far-fetched, even for Doctor Who.)